Start with the Fee You Pay
Every price you set is before Airbnb's cut. Under the single fee structure, which Airbnb says is mandatory for most hosts, most hosts pay 15.5% and guests pay no separate service fee. Under the split fee, which is being phased out, most hosts pay 3% and guests pay 14.1% to 16.5%. If you move to the single fee, your nightly rate needs to carry the whole fee. Work out your payout per night before you choose a base price; the net vs gross income guide shows the method.
Smart Pricing
Airbnb describes Smart Pricing as a way to have your listing "automatically competitively priced for your area." It uses "hundreds of factors about your listing and your area" to adjust your nightly price based on demand.
What you control:
- a minimum and maximum price, entered under Calendar, Price settings, Base price;
- turning it on or off at any time.
What Airbnb warns about:
- Weekly, monthly and trip length discounts override Smart Pricing, so a discounted price can fall below your minimum.
- To use custom weekend pricing, you must turn Smart Pricing off.
- Smart Pricing overrides rule-sets; turn it off if you want rule-sets.
- Airbnb may temporarily turn it off during emergencies or local events.
For a New England home, the minimum is the setting that matters most. A ski condo's floor in March should not be its floor in April mud season, and the minimum should always cover a turnover, utilities and the fee.
Discounts and Promotions
Airbnb lists these discounts for homes, and only one applies per reservation:
| Discount | What it does |
|---|---|
| New listing promotion | 20% off your first 3 bookings |
| Custom promotion | Your chosen dates and discount; listings need at least 3 bookings |
| Length-of-stay | Weekly (7 or more nights), monthly (28 or more nights) or custom trip lengths |
| Early-bird | A discount for booking further in advance |
| Last-minute | Lower nightly price as check-in gets closer |
A top-rated guest discount, for guests rated 4.8 or higher with at least 3 reviews, can be combined with the ones above.
Two details from Airbnb's weekly and monthly discount page:
- Discounts of 10% or more show in search results, and every discount is highlighted in the price breakdown.
- After a discount, the price must still be at least $10 per day.
Airbnb also says it sometimes adds monthly stay savings to stays of 28 nights or more, paid fully by Airbnb and not deducted from your payout.
Monthly discounts can help fill the gap between foliage and ski season, or the weeks after the lake closes. Read mid-term rentals before you lean on them, because longer stays can change tax and tenancy rules.
Rule-Sets for Seasons
If you use Airbnb's professional hosting tools, you can save rule-sets: bundles of nightly price, length-of-stay, last-minute and early-bird discounts, trip length requirements and check-in or checkout requirements. You apply a rule-set to dates on one or more calendars, and it overrides existing settings for those dates.
A lake house might have a "July and August" rule-set (higher price, seven-night minimum, Saturday changeover) and a "September" rule-set (lower price, two-night minimum). Remember that rule-sets and Smart Pricing cannot run together.
Extra Fees You Can Charge
Airbnb lets every host add three fees:
- Cleaning fee: a flat fee per booking for general cleanup after checkout.
- Pet fee: a flat fee per booking, per pet, per night or per pet per night. Airbnb says service animals always stay for free.
- Extra guest fee: a fee for each guest beyond a number you choose.
With professional hosting tools you can add a resort fee, linens fee, management fee or community fee.
One rule to note: Airbnb says hosts "should not impose fees, charges, or penalties for failing to perform specific cleaning or checkout tasks." Put checkout requests in your house rules, and price the real cleaning cost into the cleaning fee.
Smart Pricing or an Outside Tool?
Smart Pricing works only on Airbnb. If you list on several platforms, an outside dynamic pricing tool can set rates for all of them from one place. Either way, someone should look at the calendar regularly: Columbus Day weekend, school vacation weeks, college graduations and local events are where a rule set in June goes wrong in October. The seasonal pricing guide walks through the New England calendar.
How New England Host Co Prices
New England Host Co reviews pricing daily in PriceLabs, from competitor pricing and market demand. See dynamic pricing for how that works, or return to the owner hub.
FAQ
Is Airbnb Smart Pricing Worth Turning On?
It saves time and responds to demand, but you must set a sensible minimum and maximum. Discounts can push prices below your minimum, so check them together.
Can I Combine Airbnb Discounts?
Only one of the listed home discounts applies per reservation. The top-rated guest discount can be combined with them.
Can I Charge a Pet Fee on Airbnb?
Yes, as a flat fee per booking, per pet, per night or per pet per night. Service animals always stay free.
Can I Charge Guests for Not Doing Checkout Chores?
No. Airbnb says hosts should not charge fees or penalties for failing to perform specific cleaning or checkout tasks.
